Downtown LA: where to eat, sleep, shop and hang out in central Los Angeles, from new dining destination Level 8 and Brown Sheep food truck, to old faves Dover Street Market and the Grammy Museum
- Venice Beach, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills may top your bucket list, but downtown Los Angeles is emerging as a foodie haven thanks to new openings like Joshua Gil’s Maison Kasai and Qué Bárbaro by Ray Garcia
- Row DTLA is a must for any self-respecting fashionista, The Broad boasts one of the West Coast’s best art collections, and the Grammy Museum is an essential stop for music heads
Visitors to Los Angeles tend to skip Downtown LA, for obvious reasons. While the neighbourhood is home to some remarkable attractions, it takes a back seat to more popular destinations such as the coastal areas of Santa Monica and Venice Beach, the famously affluent Beverly Hills, and painfully hip West Hollywood.
Unlike those districts, downtown LA is gritty and urban, with high-rise office buildings and warehouses lining its busy streets. It is also one of the few walkable areas in car-centric Los Angeles.
While some parts of the neighbourhood can be quite rundown and could do with some sprucing up, there are still some considerable pockets of cool – everything from independent fashion boutiques and art galleries to happening bars and hard-to-book restaurants.
In recent years, Downtown LA, also known as DTLA, has undergone significant change, with huge residential and commercial developments springing up in previously neglected and crime-ridden areas, notably near the Crypto.com Arena, where NBA games and other large-scale sporting events take place.
Downtown LA’s hottest dining destinations
The most recent exciting addition to the DTLA’s dining and drinking scene is Level 8, a space featuring eight different dining concepts masterminded by two of Los Angeles’ best known nightlife impresarios: Mark and Jonnie Houston, also known as the Houston Brothers. The twins are behind some of the city’s most celebrated hang-outs, and for their latest venture teamed up with New York-based developer Lightstone.
Dubbed as “a Disney World for grown-ups”, Level 8 has quickly become a destination for both locals and tourists. Its eateries are more than just restaurants; think of them as immersive theatrical spaces where you can enjoy a meal or drink while taking in a burlesque show or a luchador wrestling match.
Joshua Gil’s Maison Kasai is a teppanyaki restaurant combining the traditional Japanese genre of grilling with French influences. Each meal is cooked in front of you as an interactive performance – naturally ideal for your social media feed. Carnivores are also in for a treat at Qué Bárbaro by Ray Garcia, which celebrates South American wood-fire cooking.
